10 Effective Home Remedies To Treat Eye Infections
If your eyes keep itching and drying up constantly, you are most likely suffering from an eye infection. Eye infections can be uncomfortable and painful and lead to serious health complications if left untreated. Fortunately, there are home remedies for eye infections you can try along with traditional medicine to get rid of them. Read on to know more!
In This Article
What Is An Eye Infection?
An eye infection is usually accompanied by redness and an itching sensation in your eyes. It can affect the following parts of your eyes:
- Cornea
- Eyelids
- Conjunctiva (the area that covers the inner and outer layers of your eyes)
Common eye infections include:
- Blepharitis – An inflamed and crusted eyelid.
- Dry Eyes – The tear ducts are unable to provide enough lubrication to your eyes, causing redness and irritation.
- Keratitis – The cornea is inflamed.
- Pink Eye – Also known as conjunctivitis, it occurs due to irritation or inflammation of the conjunctiva, resulting in redness and itching of the eyes accompanied by tears.
- Stye – A painful red lump near the edge of the eyelid that looks like a boil or a pimple.
An eye infection can affect any or both of your eyes. One of the premier Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, Dr. Michael J. Shumski, MD, MSE, says, “ One of the most common infections that can cause permanent vision damage and blindness are contact lens-related infections. Contact lenses are a risk factor for many different types of bacteria. These are some of the most common vision-threatening and blinding infections in otherwise healthy young adults.”
Though medication is important, certain home remedies can ease the symptoms and help manage the infection. Make sure you discuss these remedies with your doctor.
Home Remedies For Eye Infections
1. Colostrum (Breast Milk)
Newborns can develop eye infections. Breast milk can effectively manage the symptoms of neonatal eye infections, such as conjunctivitis (1). Colostrum contains high levels of antibodies that can help fight infections and may help alleviate conjunctivitis in newborn babies.
You Will Need
A few drops of breast milk
What You Have To Do
- Pour a drop or two of colostrum in the eyes of the infant with a dropper.
- Wash the eyes in 5 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat 2 times daily.
Related: Best Foods To Increase Breast Milk Supply StyleCraze Trivia Colostrum is the first milk that the mammary glands produce after delivery. As colostrum is more effective against eye infections than mature milk, you can store pumped colostrum in the freezer for 6-12 months and use later if required (1).
2. Essential Oils
Essential oils of tea tree, peppermint, and rosemary possess antimicrobial properties (2). Hence, they may help combat microbial infections and prevent them.
You Will Need
- A few drops of tea tree oil or rosemary oil
- 1 liter of hot water
- A towel
What You Have To Do
- Heat a large bowl of water and add 3-4 drops of the essential oil to it.
- Cover yourself with a towel and bend over the bowl.
- Let your skin absorb the steam for 5-6 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 2 times daily.
Caution: Do not apply essential oils (diluted or otherwise) around the eyes as they may cause irritation and a burning sensation.
3. Green Tea Bags
Green tea extract is rich in bioactive compounds that possess anti-inflammatory properties (3). Using green tea bags may soothe your eyes and reduce the swelling, but there is no scientific evidence to prove that they can treat eye infections. Hence, exercise caution.
You Will Need
2 green tea bags
What You Have To Do
- Take two used green tea bags.
- Refrigerate them for a while and place them on your eyes for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove them and wash your eyes.
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 2 times daily to reduce the swelling and pain.
Stylecraze Says Discard used teabags immediately to avoid the risk of spreading the infection to the other eye or other individuals.
4. Honey
Honey has been used to treat eye infections like blepharitis, keratitis, and keratoconjunctivitis (4). As honey has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it may help alleviate eye infections.
You Will Need
- 1 cup of water
- 2-3 teaspoons of honey
- A sterilized dropper
What You Have To Do
- Boil a cup of water and add a few drops of honey to it.
- Stir well and allow it to cool down.
- Use a sterilized dropper to put a drop in each eye.
- Wash with water after 5 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 2-3 times a day.
5. Turmeric
Curcumin is the major bioactive compound in turmeric. Its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties can help alleviate the symptoms associated with eye infections (5). Though more randomized clinical trials are needed to establish its therapeutic properties, initial studies have shown promising results. Hence, turmeric can be a good home remedy for eye infections.
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 cup of warm water
What You Have To Do
- Boil a cup of water and add a teaspoon of turmeric to it.
- Allow it to cool for a while.
- Soak a sterile washcloth in this solution.
- Use this as a warm compress and wash your eyes after this process.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this at least once a day.
Related: 18 Health Benefits Of Turmeric, How To Use It, & Side Effects
6. Lemon Juice
Sometimes, allergic reactions to substances or a change in the weather can cause eye infections to flare up. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, lemon juice can help fight eye infections and their symptoms (6). However, as there is not enough research to back this up, make sure you discuss this remedy with your doctor.
You Will Need
- 1 glass of warm water
- ½ a ripe lemon
What You Have To Do
- Extract the juice from the lemon.
- Add this to a glass of warm water and mix well.
- Drink this up.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink this juice at least once daily.
7. Saline Water
Saline is recommended to treat certain types of eye infections (7). Some believe that this could be attributed to the antiseptic properties of saline. However, there is no research to support this statement. As saline water is similar to teardrops, some state that it can help alleviate eye infections.
You Will Need
- ½ liter of boiled water
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt
What You Have To Do
- Mix the salt with the boiled water.
- Rinse your eyes thoroughly with this solution.
How Often You Should Do This
You can wash your eyes with this mild solution several times a day.
8. Vitamin Supplements
Due to a fast-paced lifestyle, your body can become deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. This, in turn, can make you prone to eye infections. Research shows that vitamins A, C, and E can be beneficial for maintaining good ocular health (8).
These nutrients can help prevent any infection or damage to your eyes. You can consume foods rich in these nutrients. Additionally, you can also consume foods like leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, seafood, nuts, and cheese.
Note: Please make sure that you consume supplements after consulting your doctor/health care provider.
9. Castor Oil
In animal studies, the ricinoleic acid in castor oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties, was found to reduce swelling of the eyes (9). The oil can also lubricate your eyes, which may help in alleviating any irritation (10), (11).
You Will Need
- Castor oil (100% organic, cold-pressed, hexane-free)
- Sterile washcloth
- Water
What You Have To Do
- Apply castor oil around your eyes.
- Soak the washcloth in warm water and place it over your eyelids.
- Leave it on for about 10 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 2 times daily.
Related: Top 11 Castor Oil Benefits For Health, Uses, & Side Effects
10. Cold Compress
Using a cold compress can help alleviate the inflammation and discomfort caused by an eye infection (12). However, it will not treat the infection.
You Will Need
A cold compress
What You Have To Do
- Place a cold compress on the affected eye for about 2-3 minutes.
- Do this two more times.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this procedure 2 times daily until the swelling subsides.
These home remedies can go a long way in helping you deal with the infection. But it always is better to prevent an infection in the first place.
Here are a few prevention tips you can follow:
- Refrain from touching/rubbing your eyes with unclean hands.
- Do not share your cosmetics, towels, and handkerchiefs with others.
- Do not wear contacts overnight.
- Keep your contact lens clean and replace them once every three months.
- Remove your eye makeup before bed.
- Do not share your spectacles with others.
- While drying, protect your eyes from dust and pollution.
Infographics: Home Remedies To Treat Eye Infections
Eye infections are a relatively common condition. Fortunately, you can soothe the symptoms associated with eye infections with simple home remedies. The infographic below includes some easy-to-follow home remedies to provide fast relief. Take a look!
An eye infection is often the cause of red, dry, or teary eyes. The cornea, eyelids, or the conjunctiva are the parts of the eyes that are most prone to infections like blepharitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, etc. While some of these infections require medical attention depending on their severity, you may apply some effective home remedies to manage the symptoms and facilitate recovery. For instance, breast milk with colostrum is considered to be effective in treating eye infections in babies. Essential oils like tea tree and rosemary, green tea bags, honey, lemon juice, saline water, and castor oil are some other natural ingredients that can help treat eye infections.